Presley sets scoring record as Prep wins title

The Gonzaga Prep girls basketball team thought it was going to cruise Tuesday after the Bullpups held North Central scoreless in the second quarter and took a 16-point lead into halftime.

The Bullpups had to survive a frantic fourth quarter, though, that saw them commit 10 turnovers and the Indians draw even before a driving basket by Lindsay Stockton with 20 seconds left lifted Gonzaga Prep to a 38-36 win over the Indians in Greater Spokane League girls basketball action.

G-Prep coach Mike Arte learned before the game that Ferris knocked off Lewis and Clark 71-59, securing the league title for the Bullpups (16-3 overall, 15-2). But he didn’t tell his team until afterward.

For a few tense moments in the fourth quarter, he wasn’t certain his Bullpups were going to withstand the Indians’ rally.

G-Prep committed 10 of its 28 turnovers in the fourth, and the Bullpups’ lone basket came on the winner by Stockton.

The Indians (12-7, 11-6) had several opportunities to make the Bullpups flinch even more, but NC couldn’t convert.

A leaning jumper by Riley Holsinger just inside the free-throw line pulled NC within 36-34 with 1:29 to go.

Holsinger made two free throws to tie it at 36-all with 39 seconds remaining.

After a G-Prep timeout, Stockton drove baseline, beating a late trap attempt for the deciding basket.

NC called timeout with 13 seconds to go. Holsinger tried to dribble around a screen, but Tia Presley wouldn’t budge and got a game-securing steal with 6 seconds showing on the clock.

“Was that an unbelievable game,” Arte asked nobody in particular. “I think it’s the rim at the one end (near G-Prep’s bench). They struggled in the second quarter and we struggled with everything offensively. What won the game for us was defense. And they played good defense.”

Presley entered the game needing just 12 points to break the all-time GSL scoring record set by Angie Bjorklund (1,314 points). Presley finished with a game-high 24 points.

“It’s unbelievable that she did this,” Arte said. “To surpass the record of one of the greatest players ever in the (GSL), Angie Bjorklund, is such a great accomplishment.”

Presley also had seven steals and six rebounds.

NC’s usual leading scorers, Holsinger and Tara Van Weerdhuizen got off to a rough start, making just 1 of 13 shots combined in the first half. Holsinger finished with a team-high 14 points.

“We talked at halftime and said we didn’t do any of the things that we needed to do to win the game,” NC coach Gabe Medrano said. “We weren’t moving the ball on offense … and we weren’t finding where Tia was. I said, ‘You dug this hole, dig down and have some heart and come back because you know you can play better.’”

Ferris 71, Lewis and Clark 59: The Saxons (6-12, 5-12) pulled off the upset by outscoring the Tigers (13-6, 12-5) 29-14 in the fourth quarter of the Rubber Chicken game at the Arena.

Katara Belton-Sharp led Ferris with 19 points and Haley Sieverding had 17. Devyn Galland led LC with 26 points and Hayley Hendricksen had 15 rebounds.

Mead 53, Central Valley 30: In a key game for district seeding, the Panthers (12-7, 10-7) pulled out of a previous tie with the Bears (10-9, 9-8) at CV.